In a continuing effort to improve the quality of fresh market and shipping fruits, we, the inventors, typically hybridize a large number of nectarine and peach seedlings each year. The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of nectarine tree, which has been denominated varietally as "Ruby Pearl". The present variety was developed by us in 1992 in a cultivated area of our experimental orchard at Bradford Farms near Le Grand, Calif. in Merced County (San Joaquin Valley). It was a first generation cross using Red Diamond (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,165) yellow flesh nectarine as the seed parent and June Pearl (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,360) white flesh nectarine as the selected pollen parent. Subsequent to origination of the present variety of nectarine tree, we asexually reproduced it by budding and grafting, and such reproduction of plant and fruit characteristics were true to the original plant in all respects.
The fruit produced by the presen variety is most similar to its pollen parent, the June Pearl (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,360), by producing white flesh clingstone nectarines that are subacidic in flavor, medium in size, full red in skin color and virtually free from red texture bleeding, but is distinguished therefrom and an improvement thereon by producing fruit that ripens about two weeks later, that is firmer in texture, that is sweeter in flavor, and that is less prone to protruding at the apex.
The present variety is similar to its seed parent, Red Diamond (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,165) by producing very firm, full red nectarines that ripen the last week in June, but is very distinguished therefrom by producing fruit that is white flesh instead of yellow flesh, that is clingstone instead of freestone, and that is subacidic in flavor instead of acidic.